Slow and Steady Does Not Always Win the Race: Investigating the Effect of Processing Speed across Five Naming Tests. (24th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Soble, Jason R.; Sordahl, Jeffrey A.; Critchfield, Edan A.; Highsmith, Jonathan M.; González, David Andrés; Ashish, Dev; Marceaux, Janice C.; O'Rourke, Justin J.F.; McCoy, Karin J.M.
• Is Part Of: Archives of clinical neuropsychology. Volume 31:Number 8(2016)
• Page Start: 976
• Page End: 982
• Publication Date: 2016-11-24
• Subjects: Language and language disorders -- Assessment -- Intelligence; Clinical neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 616.805
• DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acw073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6177

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: This retrospective study investigated the effect of processing speed on confrontation naming performance via five naming tests with varying time components. Method: The effect of processing speed, as measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition Processing Speed Index (PSI), and cognitive impairment were examined using Boston Naming Test, Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Test, Visual Naming Test (VNT), Auditory Naming Test (ANT), and Woodcock-Johnson III Rapid Picture Naming (RPN) performance among a mixed clinical sample of 115 outpatient veterans. Results: PSI scores accounted for 5%–26% of the total variance in naming test performances. Comparison of cognitively impaired versus unimpaired participants found significant differences and medium to large effect sizes (η 2 = .08–.20) for all naming measures except ANT tip-of-the-tongue responses. After controlling for the effect processing speed, VNT tip-of-the-tongue responses also became non-significant, whereas significant group differences remained present for all other naming test scores, albeit with notably smaller effects sizes (η 2 = .06–.10). Conclusions: Confrontation naming test performance is related to cognitive processing speed, although the magnitude of this effect varies by the demands of each naming test (i.e., largest for RPN; smallest for VNT). Thus, results argue that processing speed is important to consider for accurate clinical interpretation of naming tests, especially in the context of cognitive impairment.